Ecomobility Festival - Youth Policy Recommendations!

The International Youth Council has been invited to present policy recommendations at the World's First Ecomobility Festival in South Korea this September!

We are welcoming all IYC Members to add their policy recommendations for ecomoblity and a green transportation future. All Members who participate actively and positively will be recognized during our presentation at the Festival. The window for policy submissions will be open of 22 July - 22 August.

To be held in Suwon, South Korea from 1 to 30 September 2013, the EcoMobility World Festival 2013 offers a peek into the ecomobile city of the future by transforming an urban neighborhood into a people-oriented environment.

Replies to This Discussion

Present patterns of transportation – based mainly on petrol and diesel-fuelled motor vehicles – generate serious social, environmental and economic damage and are highly unsustainable. At present, transportation consumes more than half of global liquid fossil fuels; emits nearly a quarter of the world’s energy‑related CO2; generates more than 80 per cent of the air pollution in cities in developing countries; results in more than 1.27 million fatal traffic accidents per year; and produces chronic traffic congestion in many of the world’s urban areas. These costs to society, which can add up to more than 10 per cent of a country’s GDP, are likely to grow, primarily because of the expected growth of the global vehicle fleet.

A three-pronged investment strategy is needed to transform this sector: promote access instead of mobility; shift to less harmful modes of transportation; and improve vehicles towards lower carbon intensity and pollution.A fundamental shift in investment patterns is needed, based on the principles of avoiding or reducing trips through integrating land‑use and transport planning and enabling more localised production and consumption. Shifting to more environmentally efficient modes such as public and non‑motorised transport (for passenger transport) and to rail and water transport (for freight) is recommended. Investment in public transport and infrastructure that promotes walking and cycling generates jobs, improves wellbeing and can add considerable value to regional and national economies. Improving vehicles and fuels is a priority to reduce urban air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Green transport policies will also reduce road accidents and alleviate poverty by improving access to markets and other essential facilities.

Enabling conditions for “green” transportation have to be wide-ranging in order to be effective. Such investments, among other measures, should be enabled via: 1. Policies, including land-use planning to promote compact or mass‑transit corridor‑based cities;1regulation of fuel and vehicles; and the provision of information to aid decisions by consumers and industry;2. Shifting financing priorities towards public transport and non‑motorized transport, coupled with strong economic incentives such as taxes, charges and subsidy reform; 3. Developing and widely applying green transport technology; and4. Setting up and building the capacity of institutions to foster greener transport, and to ensure close cooperation with other key sectors.

Valid points Abhimanyu -- civil society participation and involvement is essential for sustainable transport / eco-mobility to become the norm of the future. What do you think about removing fossil fuel subsidies and applying the same towards transport fuelled by alternate / clean energy?

The EcoMobility Festival will be the melting pot for ideas, thoughts, decisions, and discussions in urban mobility. Decision makers, mobility experts, practitioners, and everyday transport users will come together to share their experiences and experiments.

Talking about reducing the need for motorized mobility for Sustainability! In my opinion-

The daily rising demand for both people and goods' mobility has resulted in the increasing levels of congestion on the road system, unacceptable loss of human lives resulting from transport-related incidents and posing serious threats to the fragile natural environment. Thus the need for reducing motorized mobility to promote sustainable practices in the way individuals and institutions choose to travel and manage the negative consequences of transportation should be of paramount importance.

To achieve this, there is a great need for public and corporate awareness and then the willingness to initiate and actively apply practices with the objective of making transportation more sustainable among as many organizations as possible.

While this strategy encompasses major improvements in the physical transportation infrastructure, at the core of it lays a need for major change in human behavior and use of innovative practices in the transport environment.

In response to how we can support operation of environment-friendly low emission vehicles- I believe that testing and evaluating the vehicles to ensure stability, durability and safety is important. The fuel and energy must be clean and the plugs etc in the vehicles regularly changed to increase fuel efficiency and low emissions. Thus reducing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere too.

That way people would want to join the movement as long as they are assured that the car would work like an ordinary car but it is eco-friendly and supports eco-mobility too. The availability and choice of more environment friendly low emission vehicles to the consumers is very important and also at affordable prices.

There are vehicle designed to run on battery and not fuel to reduce emissions but the main challenge is that they are so overly priced and also the time they run on charge is not sufficient and the power charge stations are not facilitated so if someone even wants to purchase these cars and run he has some very important issues to address. Car and car parts Manufacturers have to come up with more solutions and competitive offers to meet the increasing demands.

Lack of ecomobility remains mostly an urban issue and is a classic case of the three pillars of sustainability being at disharmony with one another. It is also a greater challenge and more expensive to set right urban infrastructure which has already been created , and adapt the same to facilitate ecomobility. Green field projects therefore need to be vetted for ecomobility . This needs to be built into the policy of urban planners so that regulations are there in place to guide infrastructure designers and implementers.

Different forms of transport have varying levels of carbon emissions . To create consumer awareness and justify higher costs of production , in the not too distant future , commercial vehicle manufacturers might have stickers proclaiming the green quotient of their vehicles . Awareness will accelerate this process of evolution.

I am so sorry that I missed this event. Even though I live in Korea, the Eco-mobility festival has turned into a local event. Many people, including myself, has no information regarding this important experiment. I wish if I knew I would have spread the word about the event among my Korean fellow youths so they could have gained much insight over the issue...

I sincerely hope this same ecomobility awareness will be rejuvenated in all areas around the world including Nigeria. The International Youths Council members needs to spread forth this actions. I came across this post even when it old. It still very essential. Many still don't know about clean energy, not to talk of putting it into practice. So how can we bring in more investors when the market is not yearning for it.
We know the cost of purchase of this vehicles are high and still no strategic branding of products. We need to look into these things again, the festival happened in South Korea, but I don't know if any other has taken place since then. Awareness is key, people need to know why buying into ecomobility is more conducive, environmental friendly, combustion free, health beneficiary and lot more.